Exchange Location: UGANDA

Program Name: MENGO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT LINK

                          (MYDEL)

             
Internship Duration: 6 weeks

 


A typical day on your internship:

 

Rising early at about 8.30am to get ready and have breakfast with a couple of other interns in the house, we’re out of the house by 9.30am where I would walk past the slums near where I live to take a “matatu” (taxi) to Downtown, Kampala which is the heart of the city, which take about 30minutes, which should really be a 10 minute journey – traffic. From there, I’ll walk about 20minutes up hill to work, crossing the busiest place in Uganda, all traffic and people walking about. Once at work, I’ll be assigned a task for the day, most of which would be writing proposals to gain funding or visiting homes in the neighbouring slums. In the last few days, I have been writing the whole year’s worth of action plans that is to be carried out. I have also presented some of the proposals to respective city councils to gain their support and approval. I would then go back whenever the work is done, which is usually around 2pm, the same way we came. We’ll then have a late lunch around the slums near home and the night is continued with some work or mingling around with others.

 

 

 

What did you enjoy most about your exchange?

 

The people I have met during my entire stay, they made it all the better. Not to mention the travelling every weekend to different parts of Uganda.

 

 

 

What was the most shocking/curious/fun fact you learned on your exchange?

Many of the Ugandans I have met only drink water when they’re thirsty! It’s shocking to me because I am one to always be hydrated, plus I am a health freak. It’s fact that if your body is feeling thirsty, you’re already dehydrated, one should never feel thirsty! Also, AFRICAN TIME! Where by, when someone tells you something is to be done/will happen in 30 minutes, it’s usually an hour or two.

 



 

Any words of advice for future exchange participants?

 

Advice that I would give to future EPs are that, you are going to have really boring, down and stressful days, or some of the people you meet may not be appealing to you, but it’s up to you to make the most out of everything, even work as work is not all productive all the time.